The UAE is enhancing its ties with the US, according to the Gulf state's foreign minister, who spoke on Friday. Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, shared his views following separate discussions this week between the UAE President and US President Joe Biden, Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris, and Republican candidate Donald Trump. President Sheikh Mohamed's visit to the US marked his first as president and the first by a sitting Emirati president since the UAE's establishment in 1971. During the visit, Biden acknowledged the Gulf state as a significant defense partner.
"My country, the UAE, is intensifying its relationship with the US," Sheikh Abdullah stated in a message to Reuters, without divulging specifics. He noted that being recognized as a major defense partner was a positive development that reflected confidence in US policy. The UAE, a security ally of the US, has fought alongside American forces in various military operations, including the war in Afghanistan, with US troops stationed in Abu Dhabi. The UAE also relies on the US security umbrella in the Gulf.
Sheikh Abdullah expressed Abu Dhabi's eagerness to continue collaborating with Washington. "The UAE remains highly optimistic about the US," he said. This year, Washington and Abu Dhabi expanded their cooperation in artificial intelligence, with Microsoft becoming a key investor in the state-backed firm, G42. Sheikh Mohamed met with Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella and chipmaker Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang this week.
